Been awhile since I've checked in. Long while really. Puppy had me paused on games for awhile. Then the NBA playoffs. Think I was last here after beating LoU2... which I really enjoyed and thought was pretty damn bold in it's approach to bending the relationship between player and protagonist (and antagonist).
Stopping by to say:
I Beat: Red Dead Redemption 2 (only took half of 2020), What Remains of Edith Finch, Until Dawn and Gaucamelee. Enjoyed all of them.
Red Dead Redemption had the most interesting world to explore of any open world I can recall. And even if the gunplay grew a touch repetitive, I really enjoyed the story and found it both moving and relevant. I'd say it's one of my five favorite games of its generation.
Edith Finch was brief and imperfect but also imaginative, memorable and poetic. Oh and stylish too.
Until Dawn was solid fluff entertainment with a story that kept me hooked even if its dated graphics somewhat hampered it-- because those style of adventure games are so dependent on immersion instead of gameplay. And to whoever here recommended
Guacamelee-- thank you. Game was an utter blast. It's mix of platforming, metroidvania and beat em up were blended perfectly. It was also the ideal difficulty (I died but, when I did, it felt fair), had graphics that are still gorgeous 6 years after its initial release and had a sense of humor that mostly hit.
And then I'm currently playing:
Mario Odyssey and
13 Sentinnels: Agis Rim. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the former, but for those of you that haven't heard of 13 Sentinels... it's a truly unique treasure. The gameplay is half 2D side scrolling adventure game / half RTS. That might sound odd- but the RTS sections are fun and well executed-- meanwhile, the story (I'm about 1/3 of the way through) has been called one of the best sci-fi stories ever told within the medium-- and I've got to attest that I am completely and utterly hooked. Oh, and the hand painted, 2D graphics are stunningly beautiful.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is the latest game from Vanillaware. Exclusive to PlayStation 4 (and playable on PS5), it’s one of the best games of 2020. Unfortunately, most people haven’t played this sci-fi gem.
www.polygon.com
Lastly, the Tony Hawk remaster is the best remaster I've ever experienced. All 3 members of my apartment were addicted for the duration of the summer-- including the guy who never games.